Means for controlling electric circuits.



G. W. HART. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS. Arrmonlon FILED APB. 5,1909.

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Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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GERALD W. HART, OF

WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART MANUFACTURING COMPANY. OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Serial NO. 487,930.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERALD WV. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vest Hartford, Hartford county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Electric Circuits, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and improved means for controlling electric circuits, and has for its object to provide a circuit with means for controlling the same at all times, preferably manually, and additional means for controlling the same electro-magnetically, the two controlling means being-so related that the circuit, when completed, can be opened by either of the controlling devices, whatever the position of the other controlling device may be, and when. the circuit is open it can be completed only by the operation of one device, the electrically actuated controlling device being cut out of action whenever the circuit is broken ateither device.

A further object of my invention is to provide a system such as above described, combined with a door lock, so that the electrically actuated controlling device will be controlled by the bolt of the door lock, so as to open the circuit if the bolt is thrown so as to lock the door when the circuit is closed, the purpose being to provide means in connection with hotel doors and the like whereby whenever the occupant of a room leaves the room and locks the door from the outside, the lights within the room will be extinguished. Means are also provided whereby the door may be locked from the inside without extinguishing the lights.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a system embodying my invention in connection with a door. Figs. 2 and 3 are modifications thereof showing different circuit arrangements, the door being omitted.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, (Fig. 1,) A and B are two terminals of any convenient source of current supply. C is an electrically actuated three-way switch, referably a snap switch, having its termina point or contact D connected to the terminal A, and its points or contacts, F and G connected to corresponding points or contacts H and I of a manually operated three-way switch J, preferably also a snap switch, whose switch arm K is connected at the point or contact L to the lead Z supplying one or more translating devices M, such as lamps or the like. N is a switch arm of the electrically operated controlling device C, which, in the present instance, for the purpose of simplicity is represented as a three-way rotary switch having an actuating ratchet O, engaged by a spring pawl P, which pawl is connected to the core Q, of the solenoid having a winding B, one terminal of which is electrically connected to the terminal B, to which the translating devices .M are also connected through the lead 6, and the other terminal of which is connected through a push-button contact device S with the lead Z connected to the switch terminal L. The branch solenoid circuit being thus connected to the leads supplying the translating devices, 1s a local circuit, and is therefore out of circuit whenever the translating devices are out of c1r cuit. T is a spring engaging the core Q, and an abutment U and adapted to force the core Q upward when the coil R is deenergized. V is the jamb of the door having the flash plate 12 provided with two openings W and w for two bolts X and 00 in the lock Y of the door. The door lock is of the well known hotel construction, in which the bolt' X is thrown only when the key is inserted and turned within a key-hole on the outside of the door, and the bolt is thrown only when the key is inserted and turned within a key-hole on the inside of the door.

The operation of the system is as follows: When the circuit through the translating devices M is open, the coil R and contact making device, being locally connected, are out of circuit, so that the controlling device C cannot be actuated by making contact at the contact device S. The circuit through the devices M, therefore, can only be closed by the manually actuated switch When the circuit through the devices M 1s closed, it can be opened by actuating the manually actuated device J and also by completlng the solenoid circuit through the contact device S. Thus whenthe main circuit is closed and the contact device S is complete the circuit through the coil R, the coil R is energized, the core Q, is drawn downward, causing the pawl P to rotate the actuating member 0 of the switch C a Suffiactuated so as tofrom the outside,

switch arms cient distance to throw the switch arm N, so that it disengages one point and engages the next point. This opens the circuit at the controlling device C, disconnecting the translating devices and solenoid from the terminal A. The opening at the controlling device C occurs before the branch circuit is opened at the contact device S, thereby eliminating any sparking or arcing at the contact device S. It also deenergizes the coil R, whereupon the spring T returns the core Q to normal position. Whenever the circuit is opened, either by actuating the controlling device C or the controlling device J, the branch circuit controlling the coil R and the contact device S is disconnected from the terminal A, so that the controlling device C may not be actuated thereby until the circuit has been again closed at the switch J. I

' When used in connection with hotel doors and the like, the contact device S is actuated by the external throw of the bolt X, thereby opening the circuit throughthe translating devices whenever the bolt X is thrown, if the circuit is closed at that time, and leaving it unafl'ected if it is open at'that time. Inasmuch as the bolt X can be thrown only the lights are extinguished when the door is locked from the outside. The bolt :12, being an independent bolt which is thrown from the inside only, can be thrown without affecting the circuits.

Iii the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the source of'current and each of the translating devices are connected in series with the points or contacts D and L and are also in series with each other between those contacts. Two other arrangements are shown in Figs. of the translating devices is located between the points or terminals D and L and are 1n series therewith, while the source of'current when the circuit nected between the contacts H and G and 1n series therewith, or is connected in circuit between the contacts F and I and in series therewith, according to the position of the three-way switches.

In 2, the points between which the translating devices are connected in series are dlfi'erent points from those between WhlCh the source of current is connected.

In Fig. 3, when the circuit is completed, the source of current and translating devices are both connected between the terminals H and G and in series therewith, or between the terminals F and I and in series therewith, according to the positions of the in the two three-way switches.

In Figs. 2 and 3, elements similar to those of Fig. 1 bear the same reference letters with exponents added thereto, and the arrangements differ in the particulars pointed out in connection with the particular de- 2 and 3. Fig. 2 difi'ers in that each is completed is con-- scription of Figs. 2 and 3. The electrical results are the same in all instances. My lnventlon permlts of various modifications and changes without departing from the spirit thereof. The three-way switches shown are represented diagrammatically. Any suitable three-way switch may be used. In all instances, however, the three-way switches should preferably be of the quick acting or snap switch type. 1

What I claim is:

1. In an electric system, the combination .of two three-point switches, a source of current and a translating device controlled thereby, circuit connections between said" switches, said source of current and said translating device; an electro-magnetic device operatively connected to one of said switches, a local circuit for said electro-magnetic device in shunt to said translatin device, a local circuit controller in said Iocal circuit, a door jamb in which said local circuit is located and a lock having a bolt adapted, when thrown, to actuate-said local circuit controller to close said local circuit.

3. In an electric circuit, the combination of two three-point switches, the three points of. each switch being electrically connected to corresponding points of the other switch, a source of current connected between and in series with points on the two switches respectively, a translating device also connected between and in series with points on the two switches respectively, a solenoid operatively connected to one of said switches, said solenoid having its winding locally connected in parallel with the translating device, and a local circuit closer for said solenoid.

4. In an electric circuit, the combination of two three-point switches, the three points of each switch being electrically connected to corresponding points of the other switch,

a source of current connected between and in series with two points on the two switches respectively, a translating device connected between said source and one of said two points on the two switches respectively, and in series with said source of current and said two points; a solenoid operatively connected to one of said switches, said solenoid havin its winding locally connected in paralleI with the translating device, and a local circuit closer for said solenoid.

5. In an electric circuit, two three-point switches, the three points of each switch being electrically connected to corresponding points of the other switch, a source of current connected between and in series with points on the two switches respectively,

a translating device also connected between and in series with points on the two switches respectively, a solenoid operatively connected to one of said switches, said solenoid having its winding connected in parallel with the translating device, a local circuit closer for said solenoid, a door jamb in which said local circuit controller is located, and a look having a bolt adapted when thrown to actu- 15 ate said local circuit controller to close the local solenoid circuit.

GERALD W. HART.

Witnesses R031. L. JAYNEs, E. TAYLOR. 

